Buying second hand makes a lot of sense. It’s not only frugal, but it’s also good for the environment. However, it’s important that you make safety a priority when shopping for used items. It’s not a bargain if it’s putting you or your family at risk. Examine items closely before buying. If you’re buying furniture [...]
From the category archives:
Frugality
Ramen noodles and store brand bologna are dirt cheap but not only are they unhealthy, the flavor is torture to most people’s taste buds. On the other hand, a diet of artisan cheeses, organic arugula and wild caught salmon is delicious, healthy and far too expensive for me to feed my family every night. To [...]
Making do with what you already have is a time-honored way of frugality, and a great way to avoid having so much stuff you lose track of what you have. There is nothing worse than thinking you’ve found a great deal on something you need, only to find out a few weeks later, you already [...]
Traditionally, people always needed to find clever ways to stretch their food dollars. I’m not talking about hunters and gatherers – they obviously had a hard time staying well-fed. But even as humans learned how to farm, grow and manufacture their own food, families were still large and resources weren’t necessarily plentiful. The result is [...]
Are you willing to sacrifice? Last week’s money mailbox featured a long time reader who was running out of money. One of the steps seemed obvious to many outsiders who saw the situation clearly: cut that cable and save at least $50 – $100 a month. It was easy for us to make the suggestion, [...]
One of the rules of frugal grocery shopping is to buy in bulk. Indeed, we’re told to buy larger amounts of the things we like when they are on sale so that we save money in the long run. However, in some cases it’s actually better to forgo buying in bulk. Here are 8 things [...]
Just because you don’t make as much as someone else doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to enjoy the same things they do. Things like education, home furnishings, and working out can still be enjoyed by you regardless of your income. It just takes a little creativity. Keep in mind that it is not about the [...]
Nurturing, even when you wouldn’t have it any other way, can be tiring. Sara is over two weeks old already, and I can’t believe how tired I am. I knew beforehand that there will be sleepless nights, but nothing prepares you like real world conditions. I actually just woke up, but I thought I had [...]
Meet Mr Hiroshi, who makes $600k a year and is much farther from financial freedom than you and me. Mr Hiroshi lives in Tokyo, and is currently married with two kids. When Lehman failed, he was one of the the employees who lost his job. He made $600k a year, but with Lehman stock being [...]
“Perhaps you guys are a little too thrifty. I think you should enjoy a little since you can afford it.”, or so he says. Sometimes, the obstacle blocking the road to financial freedom isn’t us, but the closest people around us. Although they have the best intentions, a comment like the one above puts, at [...]
